How much weight should I lose in a month, safely?

This topic is a much debated topic.

The more rapidly you lose weight, the more rapidly you are likely to regain it. So the best approach would obviously be slow and steady. Crash diets are not healthy.

To be on the safer side, it is prudent to lose less than 4% of body weight in a month. This means that a 60 kg man can lose roughly two and a half kg of weight in one month. If he tries to lose more than that, there are more chances that he may suffer from some of the consequences of rapid weight loss (like infections, mood changes, menstrual irregularities in women etc.)

Based on the 4% rule, the following table tells you how much weight you can lose in a month: